and ANOTHER new toy!!

[Elizabeth]

I also recieved My Beetle Bits System kind courtesy of Creators Stained Glass!  Thank you so much to Ray, and also to Kev for facilitating the postage.  As far as I know this system is not available in South Africa, so it is a double honour to own one!   I hav'nt had time to use it yet, but it certainly is the most amazing set up!!  Perhaps now I won't end up with lop sided stars - and may even try making some boxes!   Thank you, everyone!

[ct4mom]

Elizabeth, You deserved it. When you get a chance let us know how you like it . I have been thinking of getting one myself.I love his strip cutter.

[Kev]

The strip cutter is the most frequently used tool I own...it rocks!

[nansea121]

That's a great addition to have with your tools. You're going to wonder how you ever worked without one!

[Judy K]

Mine arrived this week as well. I sent a PM thank you but should do it publicly too. I agree with Elizabeth. It looks amazing. I like how easy the stops go in and  out of the grid and the other products on the paper work are very inticing to try. Thank you very much Ray!!!

[Ian]

Actually Ray should be very proud I think this is the only one in S Africa so now his system has gone international!
Ian

[Glassic]

Volkswagon beat him to it   

Beetle Bits Spares
7 Rosedon Road, Cape Town, Western Cape 7779

[Elizabeth]

Volkswagon beat him to it   :giggle

Driven a few of those in my lifetime too!!   I Ray's Beetles hold up just half as well - I'll be over the moon! 
 
Yep!  I'm kind of guessing that the stip cutter will soon become an invaluable tool for me!   Straight cuts have never been my forte.   I even manage to go crooked (away from the edge of the ruler) using Ian's Silberschmidt clamps!!

Off to play now!

[Ian]

Yvonne
Wow! you have just brought back some memories.
Talk about beetle bits. Back in '72 I bought a scrap Beetle for about 100$ and stripped it down to the last nut and bolt. Cut 11 and 3/4 inches strip out of the chassis to make a short wheelbase, rebuilt the engine from 1200 to 1600cc put everything back together and ended up with one of the first Beach Buggies in East London. And I bet you can guess what it ended up being called. Only took +- 6 months working every night and weekend
and nearly ended up being divorced before I even got married 
Ian
By the way Beth has just hijacked some of my black irrid so she can use her new toy to make a watch strap

[Evelyn]

All of you will love Ray's wonderful beetle bit system, not only does it do great strip cutting, but making angle cuts is sooooo easy and exact - I love mine and use it every day.

[Becki]

I also received a new tool...an Inland 8" lap grinder courtesy of Grand Central Stained Glass. I've put it together but am still trying to rearrange my workroom to find a permanant place for it. I've honestly never worked with one of these so it will be a training experience.  I'll let you know how it goes.

I'd like to publicly thank Grand Central Stained Glass, Bluefire Molds, GPQ and all of the others for sponsoring AOG's first contest and supplying such  terrific prizes.

[Glassic]

Yvonne
Wow! you have just brought back some memories.
Talk about beetle bits. Back in '72 I bought a scrap Beetle for about 100$ and stripped it

And a few years later I was driving a VW

Goat invasion in Norway. BokBeetle?

[JoanFrances]

I set my grids up yesterday.  Trashed the Morton grid.  One of the things I didn't like about that grid was that it would flex in the middle because of the lip my counter top has on it.  Ray's grids seem to be a heck of a lot more sturdy.  The other thing I like about Ray's is that you can remove parts of them to remove the glass shards safely.  The large Morton grid was impossible to clean out without dumping it on the floor and them sweep it all up again.  Double the work, hate that LOL  I started cutting the glass for a commission piece that is way over due to be done.  The full sheets were easy to cut and did not flex in the least.  

Great product for sure.  I have the beetle bits system set up on another work station and just loooove it.  I am lucky to have a place I can leave it set up because that way it gets used.  I am one of those people who would struggle rather than face setting something up and then need to put it away again LOL.  I was the same way when I did a lot of sewing.  Had to have a place to leave it set up or it wouldn't get done.  

[JoanFrances]

Ian, love you bettle bug.  Great job.  Lots of memories.  I remember when the VW van was every father's nightmare LOL

[Audrey]

[.  I am one of those people who would struggle rather than face setting something up and then need to put it away again LOL.  .
[/quote]
Oh, me too. Thought I was the only one.
You all just about have me talked into getting the Beetle bits for Christmas. I had been considering it for a long time but didn't know how many people thought it a big help.

[Ian]

Joan
Oh!! you do, do you
 :afro:
Those were the days
Ian

[Kev]

Great buggy Ian!

[Lou Ann]

The large Morton grid was impossible to clean out without dumping it on the floor and them sweep it all up again.  

I take the head off my vacuum and use just the hose to get all the shards out of my large Morton grid and have no issues with it. The vacuum is used only in my glass area so I don't have to worry about transferring shards to any other part of the house...

[Kev]

I'm using my Morton grids under my grinders at the present. I have the Beetle Bits, but have not used it yet.

[JoanFrances]

I used to use a vac in the shop till the glass shards distroyed the filter in no time.  The cost of replacing the filter was near and dear. 

I think it is just easier to empty a 12" sq piece than dealing with a grid that is 36x24.

The other thing aspect of the grid being indivdual offers is the layout.  My scrap glass whole is now excessable to me so I can drop my cuts offs into my bin below the work station.  A win win for me.

Everyone has their fav and Ray's grids have now become mine.  I think it is good that we can offer different opinions of why something works for them